JABRIL.MUHAMMAD
A few days ago, I watched the movie Paul, The Apostle of Christ. Before seeing the movie I thought why are they showing this movie at this time? As I watched the movie, I thought over the Honorable Elijah Muhammad’s words that they would put some truth into movies, but they would never tell the full truth. More about what I saw in that movie, next issue, Allah willing. For now, back to where I left off last article.
I ended my last article with these words: “There are some powerful things coming up. The more we know, the better prepared we can be. It would take more space than a few of these little articles to go deep enough into the statements made by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad that I have personal knowledge of, from 1961 through early 1975, that pertain to his departure. The thought first occurred to me in the fall of 1960 that one day the Honorable Elijah Muhammad would depart from us. It was in connection with something I read in the book of Amos, as I was in the midst of explaining something about the Honorable Elijah Muhammad to others.
During our convention of February 1961, I attempted to bring the subject up with two brothers for whom I had and have much respect, namely the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and Brother Philbert Omar. This was not an easy subject. It wasn’t until August of that year that I actually heard the Honorable Elijah Muhammad speak directly on that subject.
He did so in my hearing twice in one day. On the first occasion, he spoke of his departure with reference to the departure of Moses. He even mentioned that the Holy Qur’an cleared Aaron of the charge of setting up the calf-worship. This was during a conference with his ministers from around the country. The next reference to his departure was made that night at his dinner table.
During another time in that year and several times in my hearing from 1964 through 1967, he made different kinds of references to his departure to meet with Master Fard Muhammad again.
On some of those occasions, I was with others, and on some of those occasions, I was alone with him. This, of course, was an experience others shared with him, in varying degrees; that is to say, there were occasions when some of us listened to him speak about such matters in small groups, and there were other occasions when a few of us had the privilege of hearing him talk on certain matters alone. More often than not, he did not tell some what he told others on certain matters. Naturally, it is much easier now to see something of the magnificent pattern, or plan, that he was carrying out.
Sometimes he would say that most all of us were going to leave him. In fact about it, most of the time he would say that all of us would leave him, and only sometimes would he indicate that a few would not.
He would also speak about the next group of followers. He would very often say that his best followers were still in the streets. He would often refer to them with a few words from chapter 5 verse 54, which is being fulfilled even now. On one occasion when I was questioning him about chapter 56, Section 1, he indicated that the next group would be made up of some of us who were his followers then, with the bulk to come to him after his departure.
Our people are coming to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad through the call of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. It would take more space than a few of these little articles to go deep enough into the statements made by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad that I have personal knowledge of, from 1961 through early 1975, that pertain to his departure. However, I will do my best to touch it so that the reader gets some sense of the reality of this experience that I have shared with others.
Minister Farrakhan had the flu during a few days in December of 1969. One Sister, who was an official from Chicago, had business in New York City. She and I saw each other downstairs outside of Muhammad’s Temple No. 7, as she was going into one Muslim business and I was going into another. We stopped and exchanged the greetings. She told me of the Minister’s condition. And then, in commenting on the Minister’s health, she told me that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad had said a few days earlier that he should be careful of his health, for Aaron was given a hard time by the people after Moses left. Think about this. Obviously, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad was, again, putting on Minister Farrakhan’s mind that which was soon to come.
Then there was another time when the Honorable Elijah Muhammad told Minister Farrakhan the following, “I am going away to study. I will be gone for approximately three years. What I have given you is just a wake-up message. Don’t change the teachings while I’m gone. If you are faithful, I will reveal the new teachings through you on my return.”
During still another meeting at which Sister Velora Najeeb was present, the Minister was informing the Honorable Elijah Muhammad of insights that he was gaining into what is called the Lord’s Prayer. Those insights included what he and others already knew of the Messenger’s position as the father over the Nation. Now, beloved, do not get insulted when I convey to you how we see this. You must remember that we who follow the Honorable Elijah Muhammad see ourselves (Black people in America) as the fulfillment of chapter 15 of Genesis, verses 13 and 14, which read: “And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge; and afterwards shall they come out with great substance.”
Black Brothers and Sisters, even though there is one last dark hour to befall us, here in the valley of the shadow of death, we are in the process of coming out with great substance from the mental shackles in which we were placed. It is beyond the scope of this short article to get into all of what could be said to prove the point beyond a shadow of a doubt; even though we are collectively living through overwhelming proof of the truth of the entire range of the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, of which the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan is the chief exponent.
Now, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad had already said to Minister Farrakhan, “Brother, you are more valuable to me than a truck-load of diamonds and gold.” At another time he said, “Brother, you are more valuable to me than a thousand airplanes with a thousand head of sheep on every plane.” Now, right after the Minister made a significant speech in Atlanta, Georgia, in September of 1970, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad said to Minister Farrakhan, “Brother, you are more valuable to me than all the wealth that is in the earth, because the wealth of the earth I met when I came here and I shall leave it when I’m gone. But through you, I will get all my people.”
It was shortly after the very significant speech that Minister Farrakhan made in Atlanta, Georgia, in the early fall of 1970, that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, for the third time, told the Minister of his great value to him and he also said, “As Allah made me to take His place among the people, I am making you to take my place.”
At some point in 1968, which was after the Honorable Elijah Muhammad had told Minister Farrakhan that he had been waiting for him for 38 years and that he was the answer to his prayer for a special helper, he wrote a letter to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. The Messenger told him that was the biggest letter he had ever written him. The letter certainly came out of the state of mind of the Minister as he struggled with a profound problem, the solution to which would affect the lives of thousands, then millions, and eventually billions of people the world over.
More next issue, Allah willing.
